Paul Franssen has been a bricklayer with his family-run firm Franssen Brothers Masonry in London, Ont., for 40 years.
After four decades of lugging bricks and mortar through mud and up scaffolding, he’s looking forward to retirement.
“It’s hard on the body,” he said. “My son is going to take over and I hope to work for him some day.”
After he retires, Franssen plans to work “here and there,” knowing he can pick and choose because the huge demand for his skills will continue well after his son Ben, 19, takes over the business.
The father and son represent the changing demographics of an industry facing a severe
